Oregon heads into Saturday’s trip to USC with the betting line now working against it, a sharp turn from where the Ducks stood before the season kicked off. What was once a 5.5-point favorite has become a 1.5-point underdog, according to updated DraftKings odds.
That change tracks with how the two teams have started the year. Oregon is coming off a 39-31 loss at Oklahoma State two weekends ago, while USC has opened 4-0. The Ducks did answer with a resounding 84-0 win over Portland State on Friday night, but they know the real test arrives in Los Angeles.
"The preparation was better this week," Oregon head coach Dan Lanning said following Friday's win. "It's got to carry over now for us."
Lanning made it clear that the Portland State result doesn’t tell the whole story about where his team is heading into a tougher part of the schedule. Even so, Oregon got the response it needed after the setback in Stillwater.
"They enjoyed this win, but they're hungry for what's next," Lanning said.
That next step is a matchup with an unbeaten USC team, and for Oregon, it’s also the first true road game against the Trojans under Lanning.
Quarterback Dante Moore pointed to the week of practice as a major reason the Ducks looked so sharp Friday night.
"This game showed how we practiced this week," Moore said. "We're going to keep carrying this momentum."
Moore also said the loss to Oklahoma State forced Oregon to take a hard look at its preparation, accountability and leadership. Against Portland State, the Ducks delivered their cleanest and most complete outing of the season so far.
"A win is a win. No matter the opponent," Moore said.
Receiver Evan Stewart called it a "good bounce-back game," while also saying Oregon believes there’s still another gear available.
That belief will get tested immediately against USC. Lanning’s Oregon teams are 2-0 against the Trojans, with both of those wins coming in Eugene. The Ducks beat USC 42-27 last season after a 36-27 victory in 2023.
Oregon has now won four straight against USC, including two straight in Los Angeles. The Trojans’ last victory in the series came in 2016, when they beat Oregon 45-20 at the Coliseum. The Ducks have taken eight of the last 10 meetings overall.
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Instead, Oregon and USC will have to settle for proving the point on the field, even if the spotlight is coming from somewhere else. The game is sold out, which only sharpens the contrast with some of USCs recent home crowds and underscores why this one carried so much appeal in the first place. For Oregon, it is another reminder that the Ducks new Big Ten life is already producing games with major stakes, even when the pregame attention goes elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]
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Oregon Just Got A New Quarterback Question Behind Dante Moore
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For Dan Lanning, and for Dante Moore, the bigger takeaway went beyond the box score. Raiolas work in practice and the way he carried it into game action gave the Ducks a credible new option behind Moore, one that adds another layer to a quarterback room already under the microscope. For a team with bigger goals ahead, having another passer who can step in and look this comfortable is the sort of development worth watching closely. [Read more 🡒]